The Million Dollar Coup
by Eisteufel
Summary: Kaitô Kid announced another great robbery, the greatest coup a thief can ever think of. Shinichi however is desperate to prevent it. More than ever since he promised Kid to catch him. But can he really stop the smart thief dressed all in white? KaiShin
1. Prologue

_Hello there,_

_well, to be honest this is some kind of experiment. This fanfiction was actually written in German (a long time ago) and now I decided to translate it to English. I hope that I did an acceptable job… if there are any mistakes concerning language please let me know. _

_I hope that you enjoy my little piece of work. I'll post it bit by bit because I have to translate the other chapters too._

_Any kind of comments would by very appreciated ^.^_

* * *

**Prologue**

_Announcement!_

_To the police of Beika:_

_Saturday evening, 9 p.m. sharp, I shall accomplish the greatest coup a thief has ever done before. I'm going to pay the "Kurai-Casino" a little visit..._

_Try to stop me, if you can! I am curious to see what you're going to do to prevent me from the realization of my plan – especially you, little detective._

_Best regards, _

_Kaitô Kid, master-thief_

* * *

His hand trembled uncontrollably when Shinichi crumpled up the card of the thief to a little pellet of paper. Inspector Megure, who had given him the warning, sat down next to him, looking at him sternly.

"Quite cheeky, isn't it?" groaned the older police-inspector, staring at Shinichi out of tired, tiny eyes, shaded by dark circles.

"Really cheeky… he knows that we are after him and now he is announcing, that he will perform the greatest robbery mankind can think of? He's fooling us… he makes fun of the police… What do you think about it, Shinichi?"

Silence.

Shinichi did not answer. Apathetic he stared at his closed fist with the paper in it. Such an innocent little paper but such an important message…

The greatest coup. A master piece. Something, that wasn't there ever before.

That was the statement of the warning, wasn't it? Pure scorn.

"Try to stop me!"

_He knows that we are unable to do this_, Shinichi confessed quite unwillingly to himself and bit his lower lip hardly.

_He knows that it is anything but easy to catch him. If he wants to steal something, he steals it. Even the police are unable to prevent it… but nevertheless we have to try. At least we have to try. More than ever since I promised him._

* * *

"Kid! Stay where you are or I will pull the trigger," shouted Kudo against the blowing wind and stared with eyes wide open and shivering hands at the white figure standing right before him on top of the cliffs. Way to close to the abyss. With a thin smile on his face the master-thief turned towards him.

"What's the matter?"

Shinichi could hear the steady voice of his opponent who appeared – in contrast to him – completely calm.

"What's the matter, great detective? Well, go on then. Pull the trigger. Become a murderer to fulfill your duty. Shoot, you bloody coward!" he screamed this invitation out loud. His eyes where nothing more than two small slits. Anxiously he was lurking for some reaction of his opposite.

Shinichi suddenly felt something weighing several tons in his stomach.

_I can't…. I can't do it… but somehow I have to stop him… I just mustn't let him go away…but…, _the thoughts rushed like an express train through his burring head and frantically he tried to hold his hands still. They were shaking. Shaking due to the icy wind and the fear he felt crawling up inside him.  
Silently Shinichi lowered his gun, head-shaking. He was unable to do what Kid proposed to him. He was afraid and Shinichi knew that Kid was well aware of his fear. It was just so terribly humiliating.

"Well… goodbye then," whispered Kid as he did not receive any kind of answer. A blink of an eye later he was about to jump off from the cliffs as suddenly a shot found its way out of the gun. Completely unintended by Shinichi, but the bullet missed its target just by a hair's breadth. Only centimeters away from Kids head it flew away into the stormy darkness.

"You stay!" croaked the young detective helplessly in a mixture of anger and inner turmoil, while he made a few steps towards the thief, came closer and closer until the gun-barrel bored itself painfully into Kaitô Kids back.

They were alone… completely alone. Nobody was there who would have been able to help one of them.

Like the gladiators in old Rome, it was the first comparison which came to Shinichi's mind. The better one would be victorious and the other one would have to live with the shame that he found his master.

But what should he do now? Could he kill someone for his beliefs? The police did it day by day, shooting people to protect others.

But he needn't to protect anyone… he just had to retrieve the silver pearl, which Kid was still wearing somewhere hidden underneath his blowing, deceivingly white coat.

"Do you really want to kill me?"

"What?"

"Do you really want to kill me, Kudo? Are you seriously about it?"

Shinichi swallowed hard as he heard the words out of Kids mouth.

Did they really sound a little concerned, sad perhaps?

"No," Shinichi eventually decided in a toneless voice.

"No, that's not what I want to do."

"All right then," Kid smiled contented and lowered his voice.

"If that's the case, could you be so kind then and take that stupid gun out of my shoulder-blade, please?"

* * *

_Why have I actually done it?, _asked Shinichi himself as he was remembering that certain evening on top of the cliffs where he met Kid face to face.

_Why have I obeyed? I didn't need to shoot him but threatening him with it instead …_

Resigned Kudo looked out of the window in the pouring rain. Like a trained dog he had done exactly, what Kid had been expected from him.

No, it was worse!

He had done what Kid ordered him to do… it was just degrading.

* * *

"Look how easy it is. Without that metal-rod in my back it is much more pleasant to talk to you," Kid joked relieved and turned around to the freezing Shinichi. Like two predators they analyzed each another. Unable to figure out if it was friend or foe they were looking at.

"I'm going to leave you now," mumbled Kid in Kudos direction, not without a certain amount of derision in his voice.

"Because you won't be able to prevent it anyway, little detective."

"One day I will be able to prevent it, Kid. You can rely on that."

Skeptically the addressed one raised one of his slim eyebrows, meanwhile looking down at Shinichi in a manner, how a father looks down on his child when he knows it is lying.

"You think so?" Kid asked sarcastically. "Is this going to be a threat?"

"No, " Shinichi replied sharply.

"It's a promise!"

He received no answer. Seconds later Kid had been disappeared. A white shadow somewhere in the starless night.

But it seemed to Shinichi like he could hear minutes later a fainting voice through the storm:

"I'm looking forward to it, little detective."


	2. Chapter I Two days left

**Chapter I**

**Two days left…**

**Thursday, 28th of July**

**First day after the warning**

* * *

"Alright folks, we will do everything within our might to make Kids visit to the Kurai-Casino as unpleasant as possible. I don't care how you manage it and I don't care what you need for it, but make sure that this goddamn guy won't leave the casino as a free man!" jangled Megure aggressively, while standing in the middle of the room reserved for the special commission "Kid".

Shinichi, who had also joined the party, glared at him in pitiful disbelief.

Like an overripe tomato the head of the inspector hovered above all of them and looked like it was about to explode any moment.

"We'll stop that bastard and if it's the last thing I'll do in my entire life!"

_If he's not careful, it'll be really the last thing he will ever do in his life… if he's continuing like that he's about to die because of a heart-attack or stomach ulcer_, Shinichi let his thoughts flow and listened more or less interested to Megures declaration of war against Kaitô Kid.

"Discretion, men! Discretion!"

_Oh yes… discretion._

Since the owner of the Kurai-Casino, a certain Mr. Sakuyaguchi, had threatened inspector Megure to sue the whole police of Beika with an army of lawyers, if Kid would be successful, the older inspector was highly motivated to get it all discrete, perfect and absolutely smooth over and done with.

"The observations have to be inconspicuous… if the casino has declines in turnover because of us we have a big, moustached problem…"

_God, this Sakuyaguchi must have a really winning nature indeed_, Shinichi rolled his eyes unnerved and looked at the ceiling in a feeling of overwhelming boredom.

It was Thursday already… less than two ridiculous days till the great coup of the master-thief would be turned into action. Two days… it was all in all a total disaster!

"Shinichi?" hissed suddenly the forceful voice of the inspector in his ear, which made Shinichi jump up several centimeters from his chair.

"W-What?"

"Kudo… I think we should send someone to the casino to sniffle around a little. Not only for the security arrangements... And I think you are just like made for it."

_Oh great… why me? I have better things to do but snuffle around in that oversized casino… I have to prepare myself for the very likely case that I'll face Kid on Saturday and don't know how to react… again._

"Right Shinichi… dress in something nice and smart and keep your ears and eyes wide open. It seems like there are some suspicious things going on in the Kurai."

Blankly the young detective blinked at inspector Megure.

_Wow! That's what I call an expressive statement!_

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just take a look around. There were rumors spread, that the casino is the Headquarter of the Japanese subdivision of the Russian Mafia. If we are very, very lucky we might catch two flies with one swatter: we get Kid and a weapon- and drug-circle as a free gift."

* * *

With a very bad feeling in his stomach and sweating hands Kudo walked sternly towards the big, brightly illuminated building with the impressive glass-front. He felt more and more uncomfortable. The tie sat too tight – he had problems breathing – and the suit seemed to wrap around him like a constrictor.

_Oh lord… please, please let it all go well,_ he prayed silently to himself, while he came closer to the glaring neon sign above the main entrance. An oversized Ace of Spades playing card and a bottle of vodka send their surreal green light out into the gloomy night. Under these emblems was written in squiggly, European letters "The Kurai-Casino".

_Alright then… let's get it over with…_

Trying to put a very important appearing expression on his face, Shinichi went briskly towards the great double glass-doors, with the two impressive guards on each side.

His heart beat fast and hard against his ribs as he passed the two gorillas. It would come up to a miracle if they would not stop him.

But much to his surprise they actually let him pass without a single word.

_That's odd… shouldn't they be more alarmed due to the fact that someone wants to rob them? I would be more careful if it was my casino_, the young detective wondered.

_Or did it Sakuyaguchi on purpose, so the extra security won't scare away his customers?_

Whatever the reason was for this lack of security, at least since Shinichi entered the casino he did not bother about it at all.

He felt like he popped into another, completely different world after he passed the doors.

Stunned he looked into a bright foyer with a great crystal chandelier, marble floor and a sparkling fountain in the centre of it. All furnished very classy and pulsing due to the masses of people populating it.

_"And don't forget Shinichi, nobody must notice that you are snooping around. Therefore take money with you, grab yourself some sweet girls and make it a nice evening… but not too noticeable. Sakuyaguchi doesn't need to know that you are there either, if we want to know something about his presumed connections to the Mafia. SO DON'T BEHAVE TOO STUPID!" _Megures words resounded like an never-ending echo in his head and caused him, in connection with the dazzling light and the pungent smell of cigarette-smoke, a vicious headache.

"Something to drink, Mister?" a waiter with a tablet full of champagne-glasses asked him promptly and held the glasses with the sparkling fluid directly under Shinichi's nose.

"No… no thank you very much," Shinichi appeased the waiter. Hell no, he mustn't, under any circumstances, get drunk tonight.

"But," he called after the waiter who was about to disappear with a waiter-typical smile on his face.

"Can you tell me where I find the roulette-table?"

_If there's any gambling game in the world, that is not boring as hell, it is roulette. There isn't much you can do wrong. Besides… you can achieve the highest winnings there. If there are any Mafiosi in this casino they'll be there for sure. And Kid… yes, Kid can surely be found where the most money is on display._

"Upstairs, right next to the staircase in the "Green Salon", Sir," and as early as he came the waiter whooshed away.

_Green Salon? What a name! What else do they have here? The Fluffy Pink Toilet, or the Mustard Yellow Billiard-room?_

But nevertheless Shinichi made his way up the marble stairs. As he reached the first floor he already could see the roulette-room from afar. It was completely overcrowded and it seemed like someone was about to beggar the bank of the casino.

The turmoil awakened the curiosity of Shinichi, so he entered the room and made his way through the omnipresent silver-grey smoke of cigarettes, till he could see a part of the green roulette-table.

The room really brought honor to its name.

Everything was green.

The wallpapers, the carpet, the uniforms of the employees, even the champagne-glasses were made of green crystal.

"No more bets please. Rien ne va plus," Shinichi could hear the sharp, metallic voice of the croupier and looked interested at the roulette-table.

At one end of it, facing the croupier, sat a young man.

Wearing a white suit, a black tie and dark toned glasses pressed deeply into his face.

He looked lazy, like he was watching television at home he had one arm upon the table and held his chin. It seemed like he would not realize the hundreds of people surrounding him. Many women in tight, black party-dresses admired his enormous stack of brightly colored play-chips.

And once again the small orb hit exactly the number the young man had predicted. The crowd applauded and cheered.

"That's impossible… one man can't have so much luck," Shinichi breathed in disbelief while he watched how the chip-mountain of the young stranger rose and rose.

But for some reason it seemed that Shinichi raised the gamblers attention. With a grin on his face he got on his feet and walked towards the stunned Shinichi. Awestruck the crowd made room for him.

"What do you think? Do you want to get into the game?" he asked politely as he positioned himself in front of Shinichi and started to analyze him, obviously interested.

_This voice… it can't be…_

Mesmerized Shinichi glared up to his opposite who now removed the toned glasses a few millimetres from his face and revealed two blue eyes, which were very well known by Shinichi.

"Kid," Shinichi whispered, so no one else could hear him and realized that the smile on Kids face widened.

"Exactly, little detective," he replied also whispering and in a now louder voice he continued:

"Would you like to play a round of roulette with me? The winner takes it all," and with these words on his small lips he winked at Shinichi conspiratorially.

"I'm awfully sorry but I'm afraid I do not own one single chip," Shinichi admitted, somehow embarrassed, and didn't know what to do now.

"That's the merest problem. I will take care of it. If you win, you'll get all these chips there," he pointed towards the table with the respectable amount of chips upon it.

"But if I win you'll owe me a favor."

"Fav-"

"Excuse me, but do you want to continue the game? The bank is waiting," the croupier interrupted their discussion, sounding slightly unnerved, while he leaned against the roulette-table.

"Of course," Kid replied with a shrug and grasped Shinichi's wrist, pulled him over to the table. The crowd murmured and whispered, the women started to surround Kid again who now took one little, red chip from the stack:

"There you are," and flipped it over to Shinichi.

"Set your bets, please!"

"You first," Kid smiled deviously and offered Shinichi the entire field. Intuitively Shinichi put his chip on the black side.

"As you like," was the answer and as he had announced it, Kid shoved all he had on the red side.

"No more bets, please."

The wheel started spinning. Nervously all people in the room stared at the wheel of fortune but no one could possibly have been more nervous than Shinichi.

_What have I gotten myself into? Favor? What a favor? Surely I should spy out the police or something. Holy lord, Shinichi! How could you be so damn stupid?_

The orb was spinning.

_What now?_

The orb was still spinning round and round, Kid looked uninterested into his glass of champagne.

_Damn, it's getting slower…_

And really… slowly but surely the orb stopped. Hopped here and here till…

_No!_

"The 14 red wins."

"Well, Kudo," his opponent grinned in a mischievous manner.

"It looks like I've won."

* * *

"What are you doing here actually?" muttered Shinichi in a lower voice as he left the "Green Salon" together with Kaitô Kid and his newly obtained fortune under the applause of the crowd.

"Hu? Well, I do exactly the same thing you are doing here. I like to know my future place of action before I'm doing my business."

"Oh yes and you do it so very much discretely. You cheated and purchased a jackpot the casino-owner would happily choke you for."

"Cheated? _Who _cheated?"

"You of course! I don't know how you did it but so much luck isn't normal."

"If you think so."

"I _do_ think so. When you are doing such cheeky things it won't be a miracle if you get busted."

"Right," Kid responded and suddenly burst out into laughter. While they walked towards the elevator he had to take a rest because he couldn't get enough breath due to all the laughing.

"What's so funny?" snapped an irritated Shinichi who did not know what to think about that situation.

"Nothing," chuckled Kid, while holding his stomach.

"It's just… we are rivals, aren't we? But look at us! We are walking around here like two old friends who had met for a little chat after a long time. That _is_ funny indeed, don't you agree?"

_He has a point there…,_ Shinichi admitted while rolling his eyes, being dragged into the elevator.

"And now? Are you going to arrest me?" purred Kid as the elevator doors closed behind them, so they found themselves in a dark, very badly fluorescent lighted room.

"Saturday. Don't be hasty… but… can you tell me why we didn't just use the stairs? It was only a few steps," Shinichi wondered and he suddenly didn't like the feeling of being imprisoned with Kid in this tight, dark room.

"You know what? That wouldn't have been half the fun," Kid talked in whisper and unexpectedly he pressed one button upon the control-field.

"What the hell are you doing?" was Shinichi's resentful reaction as he felt a slight vibration and realized in panic that the elevator had stopped.

"Mhh… that was the manual-control for emergencies. Don't worry, I'll let us move on in a few minutes."

Sceptically Shinichi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall.

"What's the purpose of all this?"

"You owe me a favor, remember?"

"Yes…," Shinich admitted feebly.

_As if I had a presentiment…_

"There you are. So, are you going to do me this favor? You know… never welch on a bet," and with this words Kid slowly came towards Shinichi and laid each of his hands next to Shinichi's head onto the wall.

"What's going on here?"

"I just want to obtain what's mine."

"And what is it you declare as yours?" Shinichi croaked cynically. The whole thing appeared now quite suspicious to him.

"You'll see…," cutting off any further contradiction he pressed his lips upon Shinichi's who was too perplexed to struggle anymore.

Seconds later Kid released Shinichi for a moment.

"That are your betting debts you are redeeming. So please stay still," he murmured seductively into Shinichis ear and continued kissing him

Shyly his tongue slided over Shinichis lips, pleading for admission. He almost did it, if…

RUUUMMS

… the elevator hadn't continued its journey downwards.

"Damn it," Kid cursed low-voiced, releasing Shinichi.

"They must have realized that the elevator stuck. Well… goodbye then, little detective. See you soon!"

Like a breeze their lips touched one more time, until Kid had opened one of the ceiling tiles and had disappeared through his exit.


	3. Chapter 2 One day left

**Chapter 2**

**One day left…**

**Friday, 29th of July**

**Second day after the warning**

* * *

Hectically and with a haunted expression on his face, Shinichi browsed through the file "Kid", which had reached an impressive extent by now. He was nervous… his fingers rushed over the thin cellulose-squares. His eyes recognized that something was written on them but he did not register the letters at all.

Since yesterday's evening he was a bundle of nerves… and he very well knew the reason for his current condition.

_Just you wait, Kid, _Shinichi grudged in thoughts, while he was still flipping through the pages in the devoutly hope to find some kind of clue to the mystery of Kid or any evidence of his identity.

_I'll arrest you… tomorrow is the day. I will defeat you Kid, you can bet your life on it! Just for yesterday I want to see you rot lifelong in clink!_

"Shinichi?"

A well-known voice made him startle up.

"What are you doing with that file again? You are looking through it for the at least hundredth time…," the inspector smiled slightly sore.

"I know, I know," Shinichi snapped defiantly and kept flipping the pages stoically.

Mergure just raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"What you found out yesterday does not help us at all… you really didn't see anything conspicuous? Neither some dark deeds of our Russian friends, nor any indication of our little, white birdie?"

"NOHO!", Shinichi repeated his statement annoyed, asking himself if Megure was slowly but surely getting senile... he had told the older inspector that he did not see anything suspicious almost hourly, since he came back to the police department.

As he had reported his observations for the first time, Megure almost jumped down Shinichi's throat… and surely not because he was so overflowing with gratitude…

All the trouble to smuggle him into the casino and then the silly youngster didn't find out anything about the slightest felony? How could it be?

And exactly that question was now written in big, scarlet letters all over Megures face...

But for some reason Shinichi couldn't actually explain to himself he did not tell Megure about his encounter with Kid. Not a single word…

_Ok… I should have left out the kiss in the elevator… but the fact that Kid was exploring his target and that he played with cheap tricks to win huge amounts of money is more or less completely harmless. I could have told Megure about it… So why didn't I do it?_

Rolling his eyes in a gesture of refusal Shinichi leaned back into his seat and sank down in it like a sinner confessing. Silently sighing he gave the file back into Megure's hands.

"Did Kid announce by now what he actually wants to steal?" he asked feeling weary, while he went with his hands over his hurting eyes. Megure just shook his head, looking quite resigned.

"No, he did not. The warning, which you should know by heart already, was all he send to us. But let's tell the truth, Shinichi. A casino, furthermore a very well running one like the "Kurai"… what else should he steal, but the jackpot, which is waiting for a winner for weeks?"

Shinichi nodded, he suddenly felt terribly tired. But in his thoughts he did not agree with the inspector at all. There was something fishy about that entire matter. Honestly I didn't seem to make any sense…

_If it just would be the money… Kid never before wanted "just" the money. He always steals rare and expensive things, diamonds, black pearls… Why should a master-thief who loves the thrill suddenly be satisfied with simple, boring money? Especially since he won such a great fortune at the roulette-table... If it is money he wants, he can get it way more easy with his dirty gambling tricks. No… there must be something else in this casino. Something we don't have the slightest knowledge about..._

* * *

_Oh goody… that stupid snoopery again,_ Shinichi quarreled with himself, the world, heaven and hell included. For the second time within two days he was pressed in that loathsome suit and trudged towards the casino again. If Megure would ever send him out for any further investigations of that kind, he would go on strike definitely! There where loads of policemen. In the special commission "Kid" alone where fifteen highly qualified police-inspectors, which where in addition to it very well paid for doing such things he was doing right now.

_And what about me? As a freelancer they could send me to proverbial desert for some recherché…_

With a gloomy anticipation he looked up the façade of the shiny building.

_Once again with feeling…_

Everything was exactly like the evening before. The same guards, the same bad feeling in his stomach, but this time…

"Wait a moment. Who are you, kid?" one of the guards snarled at him from aside as Shinichi almost felt save.

"Who… I?"

"Of course you. Who else is around here? I've seen you yesterday before… but you aren't one of our regular customers for sure. Well then pal, who are you? Members only, it's an exclusive party Mr. Sakuyaguchi gives today," sneered the gorilla next to Shinichi, having a very strong foreign accent – Shinichi supposed it was Russian.

_Oh great… if they find out that I am a detective I'm dead… well, ok... not really dead but nevertheless it would be a strategic disaster…_

With an agonized grin on his pale face Shinichi rummaged his pockets. Didn't Megure mention something…?

_"Here, take that invitation. Sakuyaguchi only lets certain guests in today. The card is a fake, but at least it's a quite good one. It'll sure help you out somehow."_

Still grinning stupidly like he was having a banana in his mouth Shinichi handled over the little card to one of the gorilla-guards.


	4. Chapter 3 One day left

_**Chapter 3**_

_**One day left...**_

_That was close_, the young detective gasped in relief as he finally entered the safe interior of the casino. Exhausted he leaned against a wall and sipped at his Pernot. After the shock at the entrance he seriously needed a drink… he never had been that close to a heart-attack.

But there was something good about that whole encounter… if there were only invited guests allowed today, there was only a slight possibility to meet Kid again. Although… somehow it was a pity.

Didn't he hope secretly to meet the smart master-thief once more before he was about to be arrested on Saturday?

_Shinichi, what the hell are you thinking? Do you have a longing for a criminal or what's going on? The Pernot wasn't a good idea… it really was a bad idea indeed._

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests of this house!"

Shinichi startled up, as a sudden tumult broke out. An impressive looking figure had appeared on the highest step of the giant staircase at the end of the room.

The owner of the casino…

_There he is… finally,_ the thoughts rushed through Shinichi's mind like lightning. Curious, but thoughtful enough to appear not too conspicuous he looked up the massive staircase, while hiding himself behind a Yukka-palm tree.

And really, right up the stairs stood Sakuyaguchi himself.

Next to him at the balustrade leaned a beautiful young woman like some kind of status-symbol. Wearing a black, sparkling cocktail-dress, she snuggled up his arm.

He was a tall, heavily build man with a black moustache, a long oily pigtail and a golden collar around his neck. The bulky body was pressed in a very expensive looking pinstripe suit.

The way he looked right now it was really imaginable that he might be some kind Mafia-boss…

"Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me for being late", the strong voice echoed through the great hall again.

She sounded somehow metallic, like the voice of a heavy smoker with a microphone in his larynx.

"As you all know by now the famous master-thief Kaitô Kid had announced to rob out my casino", he made a theatric pause, to give his guests the possibility to understand the whole meaning of his words. Nervous murmur and whisper became loud. Obviously many people did _not_ know anything about Kid's warning.

With an almost frightening grin on his wide face Sakuyaguchi finally came down the stairs, accompanied by the pretty woman in the shiny dress.

_What on earth is the purpose of this speech?_

"Because you are all my friends here, I want you to enjoy the very last evening of this establishment. Tomorrow night everything around us might be faced with ruin. With this in mind: please have a pleasant evening!"

The omnipresent murmur had reached its peak, breaking out into thunderous applause. Sakuyaguchi bathed in the crowd and the attention. He smiled constantly until he turned around and made his way to a little corridor.

_That's my chance…_

Smoothly Shinichi left his hiding behind the indoor plant and tried – as unsuspicious as possible – to cut his way through the cheering crowd. Unseen by the security guards he was able to come to the small side passage.

_I don't understand it… I just don't get it… It looked it he didn't care at all that Kid wants to rob him out. That's so… insane. It sounded like an invitation. "Rob me out, Kid, but first I want to blow my remaining money out of the window…"_

Still trying to understand the strange behavior of the casino owner Shinichi actually managed to reach the little side corridor without being noticed. Firmly, but not appearing too hasty, he walked down the corridor, still looking for Sakuyaguchi.

If there were really some connections to the Russian Mafia it would be highly unlikely that it could be seen by the people in the entrance hall. Such business was made in private, behind the scenes and not in front of curious, witnessing eyes.

In just that moment, as Shinichi wanted to give up his search, Fortuna came to the rescue.  
A few meters in front of him the companion of Sakuyaguchi stepped through a side door.

_That's what I call a change of look…_

Astonished Shinichi stared at the woman which had turned her back towards him. Briskly she walked down the corridor. Slightly confused and in safe distance Shinichi followed her.

It was hard to believe that this woman was the same Shinichi had seen before in the entrance hall, but he recognized her face. Instead of the cocktail-dress she was now wearing a black pinstriped costume and her hair wasn't black and pinned-up anymore but laid reddish shining on her shoulders.

_A black wig…?_

After a few more steps she reached a door through which she immediately disappeared. Shinichi could hear a snap. She had locked the door.

Unnerved Shinichi came nearer and tried to listen with one ear at the door, but that was impossible due to the massive steel it was made of.

_Oh great… for once in a lifetime you have luck and out of nowhere there's the well-known losing streak again… Life is just not fair!_

Head shaking Shinichi stood up and wanted to leave, as he suddenly realized something from the corner of one eye. Next to the door, about a meter above him, was some kind of ventilation shaft embedded in the wall.

_Why not ?_

Swiftly and as silent as possible Shinichi first analyzed the shaft, just to open it afterwards with a fierce pull at the metal-gutter.

_Mhh ok… Either this shaft will lead me directly to Sakuyaguchi's office… or I will end up somewhere in the catacombs of the casino…. Well… if James Bond does such things it always works out after all… let's give it a try…_

And with an elegant movement Shinichi swung head-first in the ventilation shaft, in the burning hope to come out alive again.

* * *

Shinichi couldn't believe it, but he saw a light.

For half an hour he had been crawling at a snail's pace through the dark shaft, more and more doubting to find any sign of Sakuyaguchi and now he could see clearly a pale light, glimmering through a gutter in the shaft in front of him.

_Thank goodness… finally a ray of light after all this creeping in the dark…_

As fast as he could Shinichi crept towards the opening, until he was able to place himself upon the gutter when suddenly he heard a familiar voice:  
"Alright Galina, what have you found out?"

"It seems", the addressed Galina – the pretty redhead Shinichi noticed before – started to speak with a heavy Russian accent, "that your casino is safe, comrade Sakuyaguchi. No one will be able to sneak in, I guarantee."

"I really do hope so, why else should we have bothered to employ a professional killer from the Cosa Nostra?" one man interposed, who was leaning lazily against a wall, wearing a dark suit and smoking a cigarette, studying the other people in the room extensively.

As far as Shinichi could see it, there were all in all five people in the little chamber.

Sakuyaguchi himself, the woman called Galina, the guy with the cigarette, the bulky guard from the door Shinichi had encountered before and a person holding herself in the shadows, so that Shinichi was unable to see the face of the stranger.

"I hope that everything will go out well", and with his proven winner-grin on his face Sakuyaguchi added:

"The police won't be a problem. But I wonder how Kid found out…"

"What did he find out exactly?" the gorilla asked grunting, while lighting a cigarette directly under the gutter Shinichi laid upon. He felt the smelly smoke in his nose and throat.

_Oh no… please not! If he continues smoking I'll cough…, _Shinichi pleaded in panic. Due to the stuffy heat and the lack of fresh air in the shaft he felt already dizzy and sick. But if the biting smoke would take away his last remaining air to breathe, he would probably faint.

Nevertheless he forced himself to listen carefully to the words said below him. The sweat ran down his face but he just mustn't give in the instant desire to throw up immediately.

"Think, Ilja. What does he know? Kid didn't just send a warning to he police, but also to me. It says that he won't come to steal the jackpot or to rob out the bank."

"But", the huge man with the cigarette interfered and continued Sakuyaguchi's sentence:

"He threatened to steal our Egg of Columbus. You know, Ilja… this sweet, little, golden egg which contains "Diamond Dust" worth several billion Rubel. This bling, more exactly its content, is worth more than this entire casino."

After the mentioning of the word "Diamond Dust" Shinichi started to listen even more attentively. Wasn't that this new, very dangerous designer-drug from China? So the rumors were actually true… Sakuyaguchi really had connections to the Russian Mafia. To the Russian drug-Mafia to be precisely. Eager to hear more, Shinichi winded further upon the gutter, so that he now laid directly upon the air-supply of the room.

"Well…", it was Galina again, speaking in a cold, pragmatic manner.

"But that's the way it is. And I am sure that our partners here in Japan wouldn't be too happy if Kid would be able to set his warning into action, ain't I'm right?"

For the first time everyone glanced at the man in the shadows in the opposite edge of the chamber. The strange man just nodded vaguely and burred with a croaking voice:

"Yes, it would be a pity indeed."

"Nonetheless… I'm asking myself for two whole days now how Kid was able to gather information about our egg. Maybe here's someone in our company who sang?"

The cold eyes of Galina wandered through the room before a slight smile came to her face.

"Mh… but I don't think so. Kid must have heard it by random. Certain rumors have spread", she looked at Sakuyaguchi quite sorely, "that we – the Russian subdivision of the Cosa Nostra - found shelter in your casino. All Kid needed to do was to keep his ears open at the right places… And now he knows what's worth stealing here, except for the fancy furniture. However, I'll stop him. And you, Ilja and Fjodor keep the police at bay. Let them take up position in the foyer, so they don't disturb us while we protect the egg in the basement."

_That woman is really good at organizing things_, Kudo acknowledged, while listening anxiously to her speech.

_She somehow seems to be way more dangerous than Sakuyaguchi himself…_

"Alright then, I want you to-"

Fjodor wasn't able to fulfill his sentence because in just that moment the anchoring of the gutter gave in.

Amongst loud rumble, rattle and an enormous amount of dust a completely surprised Shinichi broke through the gutter.

With a thud he hit the hard ground, unable to breathe for the first seconds. A piercing pain rankled through his lungs which caused him to gasp in fear. As the dust vanished it became quiet. Quiet, except for the choking cough of Shinichi, who sat on his knees in a desperate fight for sufficient air.

But the silent astonishment of the others around him didn't last long.

"Oh my, look what the cat dragged in", Galina purred cynically and walked on her clattering heels towards Shinichi.

"A little spy…"

"I know that guy. He had this with him… I had a bad feeling about it", Ilja grumbled and handled Shinichi's invitation over to Galina.  
"Plump fake", was her only comment as she scrunched up the little card in one hand.

"Well then, can you possibly tell me who you are and whom you are working for, my dear?"

She was now close enough to Shinichi that he could feel her breath on his hot face, which she held between her red lacquered thumb and forefinger.

But instead of an answer just another hoarse cough attack could be heard.

"I know who he is. That's Shinichi Kudo, a quite popular young-detective in this city", the shadow man explained huskily. Shinichi couldn't see what the other men in the room did, he was forced to look directly into the face of Galina.

"My, my. A detective…", she smirked in an ironic kind of way and released Shinichi's face.

"Let me guess, the police send you."

"If that is the best they can bring up, it isn't a miracle that they didn't catch Kaitô Kid by now", Sakuyaguchi shook his head, grinning arrogantly.

That was enough… that really was too much…

Slowly but relentlessly anger grew up in Shinichi. Such words hurt his pride…

"I am", but before Shinichi was able to say another single tone a terrible pain expanded from his stomach into his further body.

Sakuyaguchi himself had rammed his enormous fist into Shinichi's stomach and was now watching satisfied how the moarning man fell back on his knees, holding his lower body. After Sakuyaguchi had punched Shinichi additionally directly into the face, the young detective completely hit the ground. His lip was bleeding heavily. He was unable to stand up again, he did not have the strength anymore.

Everything in the room was spinning round and round like a carousel, becoming fast and faster. The colors and shapes around him got blurred and grayish.

"Do you know how we handle scum like you?" Ilja grinned diabolically, while he came closer to Shinichi.

"Hmpf", Kudo hissed through his clenched teeth and tried to animate his muscles to fulfill a movement which was supposed to look like a smile. But he failed miserably. He couldn't clearly see the face of Ilja anymore, it faded more and more.

"It won't give you any advantage if you kill me now. People know that I am here… if I won't come back, they will tear the whole premises to pieces and -"

"Won't find anything. We surely won't leave you here as a decoration on the floor", Galina giggled slyly.

Shinichi's eyes glazed over as his last hope died. He only realized vaguely how Ilja and Fjodor walked towards him. At least he wouldn't feel much pain anymore. He was already so close to unconsciousness, that it was impossible to feel even more pain, than he already sensed.  
All he was able to see where the two… no... three blurred figures and he heard a strange voice. Hollow, very far away like it was sounding out of some kind of metallic tube it screamed „That's enough!" and the world around him faded to black.


	5. Chapter 4 Midnight

_Hello there… do you remember me? Long time no see^^_

_I'm really sorry for this extremely long cliff-hanger, but it really took me some time to translate all these lines. I honestly didn't expect it to be that hard but well… _

_Finally the new chapter is ready and I hope you like and enjoy it._

_If there are any mistakes left, please let me know. _

_Also any other comments would be highly appreciated.^^ And thank you all for reading and commenting so far.^^_

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Midnight**_

Slowly Shinichi came back to his senses.

A strange kind of noise had found its way to his ears and brought him back to life.

His limbs hurt terribly. He could feel the hard, wet floor beneath him, while an unknown sound echoed loud and louder in his head and cold fingers grasped at him.

Shinichi's body started to shiver, as he carefully tried to move his arms… yet bones and muscles he didn't even know he had them, ached like hell.

But the headache caused by the hard impact was the worst. A sharp, piercing pain shot through his head, it almost felt like someone was ramming a knife into his temple over and over again.

And if that wasn't bad enough, he felt an ongoing dizziness…

"Uff…," his lids flattered uncontrollably, as Shinichi opened his eyes and saw at first… nothing, absolutely nothing. He was surrounded by perfect darkness.

His eyes needed a while to familiarize with the blackness, so he could see what had awaken im.

He was lying in some kind of ventilation chamber. Right next to him, just a few metres away, a giant ventilator had been built into the wall. The shrill, creaking sound came from its huge rotor blades, which slowly turned around, to guarantee the air circulation.

_Where the hell am I? And how was I able to come to his place?_

"Finally woken up, snoop?"

Even in this complete darkness Shinichi was able to recognize the voice without any problems. His ears worked - in contrast to his damaged head - without irritation.

"What are you doing here… Kid?" he answered and tried to sound as normal as possible. But the only thing which came out of his dry mouth was a hoarse croaking.

His arms quivered badly, as Shinichi tried to stand up. It didn't work, due to his presumably broken ribs.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you… you surely have received some broken ribs", Kid commented the scene in a cold and factual manner, appearing completely emotionless.

"What a _brilliant idea_, Kid. As you might know, I broke my ribs on purpose," Shinichi hissed through clentched teeth. He could feel anger agglomerate in his stomach.  
After all it was Kids fault that he had come for some investigation to the casino in the first place. And he had been bold enough to kiss him… if that wasn't a reason to strangle this guy with his own bare hands…  
Unfortunately his dreams of vengeance were completely impracticable right now.  
His legs were numb and heavy and Kid wasn't more than a blurred figure somewhere in the darkness. The slight reflection if his monocle was the only hint of his presence.

Not more than a shadow…

_Wait a minute… shadow? Like the man in the shadows?_

"Don't tell me," Shinichi whispered croaky and tried to get into a more straight up position, so he was able to sit more or less upright.  
"… that you were the man in the shadows in Sakuyaguchis bureau and that you brought me here?" he finished his sentence and waited anxiously for an answer.

Could it really be true? Was it possible that Kid had connections to the Russian Mafia?  
It was right that Kid was a thief. But didn't he have something like style? Some strange sense of honor and pride?

Furthermore, it wouldn't make any sense to save him from certain death and bring him here, if Kid really had business with the Mafia… but why…?

"Would you rather have preferred to get killed by Ilja and Galina? I think it is in your best intention that I've rescued you."

"…"

"Come on, don't be sore, little detective… or is it maybe more than just that? Is it wounded pride? The bitter truth that a thief saved your life?" he started to laugh out loud, while saying these words, which cut so deep into Shinichi's self-esteem.

"I didn't ask you to do so!"

"Who cares? Do you think I want to lose my most beloved enemy? The next time we meet you can return the favor by not arresting me."

Completely stunned Shinichi stared towards direction the amused voice of Kid came from.

His eyes were now able to see some contours in the darkness. He realized how Kid crossed his arms in front of his chest and he could have sworn that he was cynically smiling down at him.

_Kid, I'm going to arrest you one day… You have no idea of what you've gotten yourself into…_

"I'll return the favor by not arresting you right now."

"Are you really that dense or is it just because of the impact that your brain doesn't work properly anymore? You couldn't even apply me the cuffs in your current condition. You should be a little more grateful, my dear. My disguise as the representative of the Tokyo Mafia is of no use anymore and that isn't _my_ fault. Well, but that means that I won't be able to return to the casino, and you are not going to catch me tonight," he winked at Shinichi in a conspicuous manner.

"Why did you actually do it?" Shinichi asked slowly, feeling a rising curiosity.

"Well… I wanted to gather some information about my new target. The _Egg of Columbus _and the _Diamond Dust _within it… you know. Albeit… the _Diamond Dust _doesn't interest me at all. I think I will take it and throw it somewhere into a random police-letterbox. But the egg… yes the egg attracts me. To steal it right under the eyes of a Mafiosi seems very appealing to me. And that's the reason why I disguised myself as a delegate of the Japanese Cosa Nostra. You can surely imagine how close I was to a heart-attack when you fell through that goddamn gutter."

It became silent as Kid ended his explanation. None of the two men said a word. Like a heavy coat silence plunged over them until it was broken by Shinichi, who just wasn't able to stand this omnipresent quietness any longer.  
"I… I actually didn't mean that," he whispered, although he didn't even know why.

Listening more attentively Kid looked at him, seeming fairly astounded.

"What else do you mean then?"

"Well… why did you save me and bring me here? Was it just because I can continue to chase you?"

"I'll tell you when we are out of here."

Suddenly Shinichi felt how he was lifted up and lost the ground under his feet, just held by two unknown strong arms.

"Wha… what are you doing there?" Shinichi squealed almost in panic, as he tried to fight against the arms of the thief holding him tightly. He trampled and struggled which wasn't too good for his aching ribs. After several futile attempts to free himself Shinichi gave in. Wearied he slumped down at the white jacket of his opponent. A rhythmic pounding worked its way into Shinichi's mind. It took his tired brain several seconds to realize that it was actually Kid's heartbeat which he could hear. Beating calm and steady. At least they moved fast… but the soothing throb inside Kid's chest always stayed the same, it never changed its frequency.

With cat-like movements Kid jumped through the spaces between the impressive rotor blades, while holding Shinichi pressed closely to his chest. Like a ghost he made his way through the gloomy building, moving towards a destination only he knew.

After a few minutes Shinichi saw the vague silhouette of a staircase and finally a few rays of dim, bleared light.  
They reached the roof of the building and even the night-time lights of the city dazzled the tied eyes of the detective. He needed several minutes to get used to them again.

Intensively he tried to stand the sight of the neon-advertisings and the streetlights below him before he was able to realize where they actually were.

An extremely chilly and wild wind blew into his sweaty face and windswept his and Kids hair. It was cold… they eventually were on the roof of the… casino?  
_No… wait a moment… This… this is not the casino_, Kudo mused and as he took a more closer look he understood that the casino was almost eight-hundred metres away from this building. That meant they were on…

"The roof of the police-headquarter," Kid grinned mischievously and set Shinichi softly on the ground. Exhausted Kudo leaned his aching head against a pleasantly cold wall.

"I didn't want to risk that someone finds you in the casino again."

_Geez… that's what I call courage. Breaking into the police-headquarter with me on his back and completely unnoticed? Either his guy is a real genius or just completely insane._

"I think I'm going to leave you now," and with this words on his lips Kid was about to disappear like an illusion from the roof, away into the stormy night, as in the last second he seemed to have changed his mind.

Completely unexpected by Shinichi Kid suddenly turned around while looking down to his opponent in an appalling way.

"I want you to give me a promise," Kid voicelessly breathed and the wind carried his words gently to Shinichi.  
"You have to give me this promise, little detective. Catch me! Please, if really someone manages to catch me one day, it shall be you. I just want to be caught be you, because all the others are just too stupid and way below my standard," he smiled with a slight ironic touch around his mouth.

"Promise me?"  
Shinichi swallowed hard.

What was going on here? A thief asked a detective to catch him? Why that?

But he would catch him. One day for sure…

"Yes," Shinichi was finally able to answer with a toneless voice and watched how Kid bowed down to him, his hand reached out for Shinichis chin. Softly he held it between his fingers and thereby forced Shinichi to look up to him.

"Thank you… beloved detective."


	6. Chapter 5 Showtime I

**Chapter 5**

**Showtime I**

**Saturday, 30th of July**

* * *

"No way, Shinichi! You will stay right where you are and for heaven's sake, finally stop messing with me!"

"No, I won't!"

"Oh yes, you will!" Megure bickered, sounding quite similar to a dog with rabies and looked down at Shinichi like some kind of lunatic.

The addressed ones face was pale and haggard, his tied eyes were surrounded by dark, bluish circles, while he was lying in a hospital bed.

But nevertheless Shinichi was ready, willing and able to argue with Megure at the top of his voice.

"Now listen carefully, Shinichi", the Inspector attempted another try. "We are perfectly able to handle with this issue. In your condition you won't be of any help anyway. You've got two broken ribs, bruising and so many haematoma, that I'm incapable of counting them. Let's end this pointless discussion. You'll stay right here in your bed for the entire evening. And this is my last word."

"Damn, no! You have no idea what Kid really is planning and Sakuyaguchi…", Shinichi resigned, he wasn't able to continue his sentence.

What should he do? What could he do?

Of course he had told Megure everything about the incidences at the casino. None the less because they had found him in a very pitiful condition on the staircase of the police headquarter, on which Shinichi managed to crawl before he had completely lost his senses again.

"Trust us, Shinichi. We will deal with it. Kid wants a golden egg? Good, because we will foil his little plan", and with this words on his lips the inspector turned to leave Shinichi alone. But before he ultimately left the room he once again addressed Shinichi:

"I warn you. If I find only the slightest sign of your presence at the casino, I'll grab you and drag you back to the hospital with my own bare hands!" and he slammed the door shut.

Lost in his dark thoughts Shinichi looked at the ceiling.

_That's so useless… they won't be able to protect the real egg because they don't even have an idea where it might be. Great… Surely Sakuyaguchi will let the police protect a cheap imitation, while the real egg is somewhere hidden and under the supervision of Galina._

He had to be there tonight. He had to stop these hoodlums from the Mafia and he needed to fulfil his given promise. And somehow, Shinichi couldn't explain why, he was seriously worried about the thief.

Not alone that he felt deeply indebted to Kid, he was really afraid that these gangsters might just shoot him down.

_No… they mustn't, they just mustn't. I won't let it happen that they just kill him and let him escape his penalty. I will be there tonight. Come what may!_

* * *

At the evening of the same day, at 8.30 p.m sharp, Shinichi silently disappeared from the hospital. While in severe aches and pains he ran through the gloomy streets as fast as he could.

His face was twisted with pain, while he clawed his fingers into the left side of his body.

_Jesus, broken ribs really hurt like hell…_

Stoically he tried to ignore the arising dizziness he felt again and finally - he must have been running for hours - he could see the neon-advertisement of the Kurai-Casino in the distance.

More or less five-hundred metres left to go…

Everywhere around the impressive building police cars had been positioned, two helicopters whirred around it like oversized dragonflies and hundreds of spotlights illuminated the dark glass-facade.

_Protected like the crown jewels_, Shinichi grinned sarcastically as a hid himself in the shades between two houses, able to watch the turmoil.

He urgently needed one of the police-uniforms to get into the building…


	7. Chapter 6 Showtime II

_Well... hello there ^.^ I know, I know. Long time no see. You surely didn't expect this story to be continued, did you? It seriously took me some time translating it but here it is… the newest chapter. There's only one left, finally the end is near. ^^ I hope you enjoy the new chapter and I'm really sorry that I kept you waiting for so long. Thanks for all the comments thus far and for your patience. :-))_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Showtime II**

Finally! Good old Fortuna was with him! Obviously she stopped hating him from the bottom of her heart for a moment. He didn't exactly know how he managed it, but he really had been able to knock out a really dumb looking police officer, who was about to do his bathroom needs right in the narrow alley Shinichi was hiding in.

With a determined expression on his face - and as casual as it was possible wearing a uniform which was at least two clothing sizes too large – Shinichi immediately marched towards the as bright as day illuminated building.

While he past the well- known, impressive glass doors he tried to cover his face with the brim of his cap and didn't dare to look up from his feet. Luckily he wasn't noticed or stopped by anyone and so he was able to enter the giant hall with the beautiful fountain in it. Out of the corner of his eye he realized a strangely familiar orange coat and before Shinichi couldr see him entirely he already could hear Inspector Megure's chesty voice, which gave him a start.

Megure looked like he had bitten into an extra bitter lemon, while he flourished his hands in wild gestures. His men already had gathered around a little glass showcase. With just one single look Shinichi recognized that his assumptions had completely been right. The egg in the vitrine was a really well made fake, but a fake nonetheless.

"Well then, if the gentlemen would excuse me, I have some further businesses to do. I'm sure that you and your men will be perfectly capable of protecting my belongings," Mister Sakuyaguchi purred, while he was already turning around, persumably heading towards his real treasure. _The Egg of Columbus_ with its precarious contents. Hastily Shinichi tried to follow the dubious casino-owner down the small corridor and realized that he really was heading towards an emergency staircase. With oddly stiff movements Sakuyaguchi eventually went down the stairs.

_So the egg still _is_ in the cellar? I _knew_ it…_

As soon as Shinichi was sure that Sakuyaguchi could not hear his steps, he rushed down the steeply stairs, his heartbeat pulsed fast in his ears and the adrenalin pumped through his veins. At least for a short amount of time he was able to forget about this damn damaged rips.

"Hey, wait you bastard!"

He felt like he had been electrocuted, when he heard the voice shouting from behind his back. Unable to move Shinichi stayed in a state of shock for a few seconds. That was exactly how Shinichi imaged the feeling of being struck by lightning. It took him a further few seconds to realize the situation he was in. Reflexively he jumped around the next best corner and pleaded to god, Jesus, Buddah, every higher creature which came to his mind that the shouting was not addressed to him. His heart raced uncontrollably and throbbed so hard against his chest it hurt. Blood dashed like streams in his ears while he tried to ignore the pain his broken rips where sending through his body, almost shouting: "Get back to the goddamn hospital bed you bloody idiot! We don't like to jump around anymore because we are BROKEN!"

Within the blink of an eye thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind.

_Oh lord…who was that person shouting at? Did she saw me… was she shouting at me?_

To Shinichi's great relief the person which turned out to be the professional assassin Galina did not see him. With fast and clangorous steps Galina went down the corridor, now shouting something which Shinichi interpreted as Russian. The deep voice of Sakuyaguchi answered from somewhere in the depths of the cellar. Slowly the two voices faded, together with the rhythmic click-clack of Galinas heels. They were heading down another staircase that was for sure.

"Jesus…," the young detective gasped breathless while his aching lungs desperately tried to supply his body with sufficient air. After a few minutes he couldn't hear the sounds of Galina's heels anymore. Swiftly he turned around the corner. At the end of the corridor he could already see another steep staircase, heading even deeper into the catacombs of the casino. He followed the dark and narrow passage until he found himself in a gloomy basement vault with high ceilings and full of nooks and crannies.

Which of all these small, winging corridors was the right way? He tried to listen intensely into the silence but he couldn't hear a thing. No voices. No click-clack.

Where was Sakuyaguchi hiding he egg? To be completely and brutally honest…Shinichi had not the slightest hint of an idea at all. The passages where like a weird labyrinth.

_Tss… a veritable dungeon… Count Dracula would have been jealous._

Slowly Shinichi walked down one of the corridors which he had chosen by complete randomess (– the walls here were so nice wet and musty).

This whole situation smelled – literally. But if the egg really was in this building anyway, then it surely was hidden down here.

_I wouldn't do it any different…sometimes it comes in handy to have a private oubliette… it just misses a dragon. Then it would be just perfect…,_ Shinichi smiled bitterly while his trembling fingers touched the pistol he was wearing under his oversized jacket. At least he would be able to defend himself when it should come to the occasion.

To be entirely on the safe side, Shinichi had not only borrowed the uniform of the knocked out policeman but also his gun. Somewhere in this cellar was a professional assassin of the Russian mafia waiting for any intruder to shoot down… he definitely felt better with the cold, hard metal at his chest but if he really would use the weapon against another person was a different kettle of fish. Nonetheless, he would at least have the possibility to fight back and this thought alone calmed him down a lot.

"Alright then Galina, I want precision. Off that goddamn thief, is that clear?" suddenly the cold, metallic voice of Sakuyaguchi echoed from the wet walls and led Shinichi to a massive metal door at the right side of the corridor.

Carefully Shinichi peeked through the little space which had been left open and could see Sakuyaguchi and Galina how they were standing in front of a little glass table with

… _the real egg!_

"Don't worry," Galina smirked and loaded her gun before she placed it back into her holster.

"The guy won't leave this building in one piece. I guard the corridors. He won't get our little jewel."

Sakuyaguchi just nodded slightly while watching her leaving the room through another door at the other end of it. Only seconds later Sakuyaguchi turned around to the door Shinichi was hiding behind. With a strange smile on his bulky face.

"You can come out now. I know that you are behind that door anyway. There's no use in hiding anymore!" he shouted in Shinichi's direction and waited for some kind of reaction. As there still wasn't any he forcefully opened the door and stared down at a sweating detective whose legs where about to give in any minute.

"Get in here, snoop! You took quite an effort coming here in the first place," he teased and dragged the perplexed and exhausted Shinichi into the room before he slammed the door shut.

_What have I gotten myself into? Its over… it really is this time…, _apocalyptic thoughts rushed like a train through Shinichi's head while he was facing the blue, emotionless eyes of Sakuyaguchi.

He was looking in the eyes of a dangerous and ruthless mafia boss while he was standing in a damp cellar - with several broken rips and an egg full of _Diamond Dust_ on the table. The circumstances really might have been better…

_What is he planning? What is he waiting for?_

"Well snoop, I have to admit that you are more persistent than I thought," Sakuyaguchi hissed through clenched teeth and started to draw concentric circles around Shinichi.

"Well that's just the way I am. Don't underestimate me," was the gasped answer. His right hand was still holding his more and more unbearably hurting side while Shinichi desperately tried to stay upright. Sakuyaguchi just smiled scornfully.

"Won't make that mistake again, be sure of that."

Plump fingers suddenly grabbed the egg. Indecisively he held it between his fingers, placing it from one hand into the other as if he wanted to figure out what it might weight.

"Pretty, isn't it? Such a beautiful little egg… well, I think I shall take it with me, little detective Shinichi Kudo."

"WHAT?"

That wasn't possible. What was that insane guy doing over there? Shinichi fevered ecstatically while Sakuyaguchi suddenly leaned in and started to kiss Shinichi fervently on his lips.

Carefully his tongue caressed the lines of the detective's lips, then forcefully tipped against them

_No… this can't be true… I really know only one person who's kissing like _this_…_

"You're sure you still have no clue who I am?" the supposed Sakuyaguchi doubted ironically while he whispered this words only millimeters away from Shinichi's ears. Softly he stroke through his unruly hair.

"KID!"

"Exactly," the addressed one smiled, teared off the mask and the elegant clothes just to reveal his well-known white suit. His trademark.

For the third time they were now looking at each other face to face. Like the first time on top of the cliffs when Shinichi gave Kid his first promise he felt like he was about to explode any moment.

"I'm going to arrest you now," Shinichi croaked huskily and slowly took a step towards the thief. His fingers where clinched into his awfully hurting side.

"No. You are not," Kid answered with pursed lips and for the taste of Shinichi he had a way too arrogant expression on his face.  
Still smiling calmly Kid was about to walk towards Shinichi when suddenly something was moving behind the backdoor… only a vague shadow...

_WHAT THE…?_

The door creaked, a faint _click _could be heard

"NO, DON'T!"

Suddenly the world started to move terribly fast. In one single movement Shinihi had grasped "his" duty weapon underneath his jacked, aimed at the door and pulled the trigger.

While uttering a loud and consistent cry of pain Galina's bleeding hand let go of the pistol.

Cursing furiously in Russian she was kneeling on the floor, clutching her shot through hand in pure agony. The tiles on the floor slowly turned dark red. Completely perplexed all three persons in the room stared at each other in perfect confusion.

His pistol slipped from the cold grasp of the detective and fell slowly clinging on the floor.

Kid wasn't able to do anything but staring at the hardly breathing Shinichi like he had been paralyzed.  
This strange situation lasted until voices echoed from afar, with Inspector Megure's deep Baritone leading the way, yelling orders.

"Your friends are approaching," Kid resigned while hiking his shoulders, shaking his head consistently. He got a hold on himself again. He already had put on the hardly breakable mask of indifference again. But the shock still stuck in his limps, Shinichi could tell by the way the thief looked and moved. Everything about him seemed to work a little slower than usual. Stiff and staccato. But his eyes did not seem to find any rest, hectically they scanned the room over and over again. Even the hard-boiled master-thief Kaitô Kid was shaking when he finally opened the egg and scattered its violet, powdery content on the ground.

"Congratulations," he warbled sarcastically and let the egg snap loudly.

"You blew up this drug circle and saved the life of an up-to-no-good villain," he shortly smiled before he interrupted himself, looking at Shinichi sternly before he continued to speak:

"Anyway little detective, you won't capture me. Not today. Maybe some other time."

"Kid, wait!"

Kid was already about to leave the basement through one lifted ceiling board, when Shinichi was able to hold him back. His voice sounded strangely croaky and hollow in his ears.

"Kid… I… I don't want this anymore. I… I definitely will not continue chasing you. I stop it. I can't capture you – at least not alive and in one piece. Well and… because I don't want to kill you I have no other choice but to quit as a detective. I'm sorry… I really am."

Silently nodding Kid listened to Shinichi's words. The young detective was near to tears, unable to look into the blue eyes of his opponent.

What the hell was going on here?

"Thank you, Shinichi," Kid finally managed to find his voice again.

"You and I...," Kid singhed. "We are even. You owe me nothing," he whispered in a toneless voice and with this words master-thief 1412, better known as Kaitô Kid, disappeared utterly quiet through the opening in the ceiling and left a peculiar feeling of emptiness.

_He called me by my name... Not snoop or detective as he usually does but Shinichi… But what does it matter anymore? I will never see him again…_

Only seconds after he thought this, the police arrived and a breathless Megure crashed into the room.

"Kudo!" Megure yelled in a mixture of pure disbelief and raging anger, while he was glancing like a hypnotized rabbit at Shinichi who was holding his side desperately while forcing his lips to fulfill the movement of a hinted smile. Megure's look unsteadily changed between Shinichi, Galina with her bleeding hand, the immense amount of blood on the floor, the moved ceiling board, back to Shinichi again…

"Galina Petrovska? You are under arrest. We found the real Sakuyaguchi upstairs wearing nothing but his undies while being tied to his bureau chair."

Frowning Megure handled over a little piece of paper to Shinichi.

"He had this with him. Read it."

_A little present for you, dear detective!_

_I have taken the liberty of having a little joke with Sakuyaguchi's appearance and I hope you will forgive me. _

_To the police of Beika:_

_These people lead by Mister Tetsuya Sakuyaguchi are members of the Russian mafia and have fooled you quite a lot. _

_The real _Egg of Columbus_is hidden in the basement, room number 23. _

_It contains a considerably amount of _Diamond Dust_. Might sound interesting to you, don't you think?_

_Personally I prefer to take just the egg and not its content, which I kindly recommend to you._

_One last word to you, Shinichi:_

_We will meet again. Maybe sooner as you might think._

_Best regards, _

_Kaitô Kid, master-thief_

* * *

Within the next two weeks Shinichi was forced to stay at hospital. He heard nothing of the notorious master-thief. Nothing, except the little information the huge amounts of news specials, news broadcasts and daily newspapers (which he devoured eagerly in the desperate attempt to find further information about the whereabouts of the sneaky thief) offered. But as the saying goes…things always seem to happen when you least expect them…


	8. Epilogue The Show must go on

_Here it is… the very last chapter of my little story. Read and enjoy. And please don't forget: comments are candy ^.^ Finally there's a little one on one action between those two ;P_

* * *

**Epilogue**

**The Show must go on**

**Friday, 25th of August  
**

**11:30 p.m.**

* * *

"Obviously you've made a splendid recovery, little detective!"

"Kid," Shinichi whispered hoarsely and stared perplex at the white shadow whose vague figure was depicted in the frame of the open window. He could not turn his eyes away from this being that looked way more like an apparition than a master-thief.

"Precisely," Kid grinned smugly, jumped down the window sill and alighted elegantly on the parquet of Shinichi's bedroom. Still smiling mysteriously he was approaching towards the awestruck youngster, while hiding his face under the wide brim of his oversized cylinder. The monocle shimmered vaguely every now and then.

"To be honest… I was really disappointed to see that you weren't able to stop me. And that you've given up so easily," the thief criticized in a fake reproachfully voice and looked down into the blue eyes of Shinichi which started to throw furious sparks into his direction only seconds after he had ended his sentence.

"I am_ awfully_ sorry for being such a disappointment to you. The next time someone else will surely make a greater effort than me."

"There won't be a next time anymore."

"Excuse me?"

Dumbfounded and entirely sure that he must have misheard Kid's last words Shinichi was staring at his opposite openmouthed.

"I said," Kid started again while coming dangerously close to Shinichi's face, "that there won't be a next time anymore once and for all."

Determined he looked through the sparkling glass of his monocle, half hidden under the wide white brim. The expression on his opponents face was a mixture of confusion and complete disbelief.  
"Oh _really_? Did all of a sudden your assumed to be dead conscience put its hand up or what?" Shinichi hissed cynically, feeling a rising cause of discomfort with Kid being so close to him, telling him such stupid, unbelievable things.

In the meantime Kid just continued to smile in a superior manner before giving Kudo a playful kiss on the tip of his nose, therefore earning a vexed glimpse out of bewildered blue eyes.

"Come on Shinichi. Take them off," Kid whispered suddenly and with one finger he shortly tipped at his cylinder and the metal bordering of his monocle.

"What did you just say?" Shinichi's head immediately raised at the speed of light.

"I said," Kid teased his favourite victim a little more while he softly caressed the blushed cheeks of the detective.

"… just take of the cylinder and the monocle. Due to the fact that you were unable to get me – a real infamy indeed by the way – I just run out of steam to continue my robberies as Kaitô Kid. So you can see my true face just as well. It does not make a difference anymore."

Kid crossed his arms before his chest while he was looking at the shocked face of Shinichi who was staring at him like he was Jesus of Nazareth and Sherlock Holmes in one person.

"Now, now… why looking so gloomy?" Kid joked and leaned his head a little aside as if he had to think of some kind of sermon for Shinichi.

"But well, as I already said before: this coup was the last mission of Kaitô Kid. The one and only criminal Shinichi Kudo couldn't capture. Looks like I've won."

"It seems that way," Shinichi resigned tonelessly.

"If you don't want to hunt me anymore, it is only half the fun borrowing things."

"What is _that _supposed to mean?" Shinichi's throat painfully uttered. He felt like someone had plugged an enormous lump of steel wool in it, which was more and more cutting down his ability to breathe properly. He could feel how his hands became wet and how he blushed even more. He felt anger arising in his stomach. Whom he was angry with, he couldn't precisely tell.

"Do you want to say that-"

Kid moaned while rolling his eyes, therefore interrupting Shinichi in a quite rude kind of way.

"Yes, yes. I want to be chased by you. And - if I'm really that dumb one day – I only want to be caught by you and you alone. Everything else would be way below my standard. But this wish obviously will never come true due to your decision to give up as a detective so what's all this goddamn fuzz about?"

And with this almost screamed out words on his lips Kid grasped Shinichi's trembling hand and let it to his monocle.

"Just take it off."

With a more firm grip Kid pulled Shinichi's hand nearer, so cold fingertips could touch the even more cold glass of the vision aid. Nervously Shinichi took the monocle between his fingers while Kid took off his cylinder himself.  
The taken off monocle had revealed a second ice-blue eye which was now analyzing Shinichi with a look he was just unable to interpret.

"Well… now you know who I am," Kaitô Kuruba murmured, slowly putting his arms around Shinichi, placing his head on the detective's shoulder.  
"If you don't intend to hunt me anymore, it'll all cease to make sense. Well… but maybe I can be together with you without stealing things… would be definitely the easier way, that's for sure."

Shinichi unintentionally shivered when he carefully put his arms around Kaitô's neck, anxiously stroking the brown hair of the thief, not sure what to do now or what to answer.

_What does Kid mean by all this? Does he really want to say that he is in…_

Feeling awkwardly confused he looked up just to meet the blue eyes of Kaitô.

"I… well… I have no clue what we should do right now…" he stammered incoherently while hiking his shoulders in excuse.

Kaitô's answer was just a mischievous smile.

"But _I _do!"

Immediately Shinichi could feel these well-known lips upon his own, realized how two hands got a hold on his hips, dragging him nearer towards the warm and slender body of the thief.

Kaitô's tongue slid over Shinichi's lips curiously before he interrupted the kiss again.

He didn't say a word. He just looked at his opposite speechless and couldn't hide the fact that he was very much amused. The view he had was just too enjoyable.

The in nine times out of ten so pragmatic, self-controlled master-detective Shinichi Kudo was stoically looking at his feet, his unruly brown hair only hid half of his reddened face. Obviously his self-esteem and forwardness had all been blown out of the window completely. Kid wasn't sure if any other person on this entire planet had ever seen Shinichi Kudo in such a condition. And not without a certain pride he recognized that it was him who had driven the younger detective to the edge.

Gentle, almost shy Kaitô touched Shinichi's lips with his fingertip. With satisfaction he watched how Shinichi's face was turning even more towards a color which could be best described as "overripe tomato red".

"I love you, Shinichi."

Kaitô silently sighed, attentively studying how the eyes of the young detective widened, before he continued.

"What do you think… shall I carry on?"

But before only a single word might have escaped Kudo's dry mouth, Kaitô already kissed him frantically, meanwhile slowly pushing him further down to the bed, pinning his wrists to the sheets with one hand, while his other one already started to fumble around the buttons of Shinichi's shirt.

"Why did you ask in the first place if you do what you want anyway?" Shinichi gasped breathlessly but still with a good and proper amount of cynicism in his intonation.

Sparkling, deep blue eyes looked up cheekily from his collarbone were Kaitô had placed little marks and kisses.

"Just for the record."

Carefully he opened the last remaining buttons of Shinichi's shirt and longinly caressed the pale skin of his bare chest. Slowly but surely his thin fingers wandered deeper.

"Shinichi, I-"

"Wait," the smaller one murmured with failing voice, putting his trembling forefinger on the lips of the boy all dressed in white.

"I want you to give me a promise."

"A promise?" Kaitô echoed the words Shinichi just said but wasn't able to fully understand their meaning.

"You promise me to keep on stealing?"

"_Beg your pardon_?"

"Please, I… I only want to chase _you. _I want to pursue you my whole life if necessary. If I promise you to continue my work… so do you?"

Completely surprised by this kind of question his counterpart startled up. Uncertain he looked down to the pleading expression on the face of his greatest capture. The request made him chuckle.

"The detective asks the thief to keep on stealing? Quite ironic don't you think? One could almost call it insane."  
"Only almost as insane as a thief who's begging the detective to catch him," Shinichi countered skillfully while watching even the slightest change of Kaitô's facial expressions.

"It's alright, Shinichi," Kid finally whispered when he leaned his tired head against Kudo's chest.

"I seriously hope you'll capture me soon, little master-detective. Otherwise I can't guarantee anything. If I'm bound to be caught one day then it shall be by your hands."

"That's for sure. Maybe sooner as you might think."

"Don't overestimate yourself, snoop."

"Kaitô… I will catch you. Somehow," the addressed one could hear the breathy, almost inaudible words, sending prickling shivers down his spine.

"I should hope so too. It would be just terribly boring without you."

**- The End -**

* * *

_Finally… finally, finally it's done. :)) I hope you enjoyed reading this little fanfic and that you also had a little fun with Shinichi and Kaitô. Thank you for your attention, all your kind comments and see you hopefully next time with some other story. ^.^_


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